Some of the greatest wonders of summertime are seeing fireflies light up the night, hearing the buzz of a bumbling bumblebee or counting the spots on a ladybug's back. Today we're going to take a look at three citizen science projects focused on insects. These are a great way to bask in the wonder of nature and contribute to scientific discovery.
Firefly Watch
The Boston Museum of Science has teamed
up with researchers from Fitchburg State College and Tufts University to study fireflies. Scientists are interested in where
fireflies live and whether or not artificial light sources or
pesticides have an affect on these insects. There are a lot of
locations and insects out there and these scientists can't do this on
their own. You can join Firefly Watch to help. Like any citizen science project, your observations are
important pieces of data.
You can participate easily in Firefly Watch by signing up to be a volunteer
and then choosing a site to study.
Perhaps it is your backyard or maybe a nearby park. Do you see
fireflies at the campsite you frequent? When you make observations of
your site you can then share this information online. Peruse the
online map to see where firefly "hotspots" are near you!
Looking for some other fun firefly activities? Check these out from the National Wildlife Federation.
Lost Ladybug Project
The Lost Ladybug Project is a joint effort of Cornell University,
4-H and Discoverlife.org funded by the National Science Foundation.
The purpose of the project is to learn how the species composition of
the ladybug is changing. Several, once common, types of ladybugs are
now very rare. On the other hand, non-native species of ladybug's
populations are booming. This insect is very important in terms of
keeping the populations of other plant-eating insects, like aphids,
in check. Scientists need your help to determine where populations of
different types of ladybugs are.
To participate in the Lost Ladybug Project all you have to do is photograph ladybugs when you see them
and upload them using the website's submission form.
There is a lot of
info on their website on how to appropriately find, photograph and
identify these insects.
Bumblebee Watch
Bumblebee Watch is similar to the other projects outlined in this
post. The mission is to track and conserve North America's
bumblebees. Bumblebees are important plant pollinators. They help
assure we have productive gardens and crops. Understanding more about
their populations is very helpful in conservation efforts. This
project originated with the Xerces Society and now has many partners.
To participate in Bumblebee Watch you
must sign up for an account.
Then you can upload photos
and observations you've made about bumblebees or bee nests. You can
also explore the data on the website, see photos from other sightings and
investigate bumblebee distribution maps.
There are many ways to get involved in
science and nature over the summer, often through the same
exploration you, or your children, might be doing anyway! Do you have
a favorite citizen science project? Please comment below!
Resources:
- Firefly Watch
- Lost Lady Bug Project
- Bumblebee Watch
- National Wildlife Federation- Fun Firefly Activities
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